mintchocolatecats

loves mint, chocolate, tea and cats Header image: my favorite place in existence Avatar picture: a random car picture I thought turned out pretty recently started drawing again. mostly fan art of stories I can't get out of my head. Tag mintchocolateteacats art Fic recommendtions tag: Fic Rec

[pure-plum]

Dipper’s gif is done!

It’s so tempting to have hints of Bill all over the place but I think I’ve got a good level of his creeping here.  Next, I start on Mabel!  You can see the work in progress versions of Dipper as well as Mabel here! 

[hungwy]

being cosmically "insignificant" doesnt even matter like its not important......... like literally lets enjoy a strawberry

[teaboot]

being cosmically insignificant is literally SO good it's like being a nepo hire in a fake position in charge of nothing like u can literally just enjoy a strawberry

[unheardoracle]

Your dialogue is stiff because everyone is being too honest

Great dialogue can come from radical emotional honesty. But in most real conversations, people

dodge questions

answer indirectly

lie (badly)

change the subject

crack jokes to avoid serious answers

lie (convincingly)

say half of what they mean

tell the truth but get so anxious/angry/defensive others now think they're lying

If your dialogue feels unnatural, it might be because everyone is saying exactly what they think, or articulating their thoughts too well. Try letting characters hide things instead.

Subtext is where tension lives.

[dopedyk]

more so,

people don’t always speak in full sentences,

slang can change depending on age range, demographic, etc. &

don’t be scared of vocal pauses (uhm, uh, err)

[adrenaline-revolver]

“Eridians dislike earth because they abandoned Grace.” *Incorrect Buzzer Sound* ya missed the point of the story buddy! It’s not about someone being ‘bad’ it’s about the incredible power of love and that love being worth dying for!

Gimmie Eridians who are absolutely heartbroken to hear that humans where so desperate and so scared that they where willing to part with not just one Grace, there were three of them! Gimmie Eridians touched to find that the humans planned a way for their sacrifices to be as comfortable as possible. Gimmie Eridians who send earth a message saying “We know it must have hurt to send your heroes to die, but one made it and he’s safe here. We lost 22 good Eridians on the journey we would have lost 23 if not for your Grace.”

Give me humans sitting on Earth slowly coming to the conclusion that when we look up not only are we not alone, someone out there is alive because of one of us. That no matter what we think of ourselves a whole species thinks highly of us because we helped save the galaxy. Give me humans who figure out how to send a probe to Erid filled to the brim with messages for Grace and footage of a monument being raised that reads his name, his crews names, and then “in memory of the 22 Eridians who lost their lives on the journey to save the stars.”

[karlyanalora]

I think some of the Eridians send messages specifically for Stratt. I think Adrien does. “I know how hard it must have been to send Grace to die and sending him away scared. But he’s safe now. He may have been mad at you, but I’m not. I can’t be. Without your choice, I would have lost Rocky and we would have both lost our homes forever. Thank you Eva Stratt, sender of heroes.”

[discoursedrome]

The opposite of “the elephant in the room” is “the centipede in the room”: something that’s not actually an issue but everyone is freaking out about

[caspercryptid]

I feel like not enough people realize that people under enormous strain act really really fucking Weird

[caspercryptid]

If someone is doing things that don't make Sense, try to understand that it is entirely possible that their brain is probably under an enormous weight and fracturing under the pressure. People who have been stabbed will sometimes talk a circle around the fact that they've been stabbed because stress and shock prevent you from recognizing the distress you are in and what you need to do to seek help for it. PTSD will do this also. You will find yourself repeatedly jamming a bag of frozen fruit into the same spot in the freezer where it doesn't fit and keeps falling, over and over and over, focused on nothing but that bag. You will decide that a beanbag chair is 10000% necessary to your life. You will lose your entire shit because you stubbed your toe on a table and that means the whole setup of your furniture is wrong. These are largely harmless examples. People under strain will also hurt themselves and others. Cornered animals bite. And it doesn't heal the bite to go "Hey, are you okay?" But it might get you to an animal that stops biting, so you can start to heal. And before you had an animal that bit, you probably had an animal that kept doing shit you didn't understand as stress signals

[mintchocolateteacats]

when you have agreed to not put new thumbtacks in the wall. And you are taping paper calendar pictures to paper claw dad pictures to connect the rivers, mountains and horizons. To get it to make sense as one big interconnected piece. But then, because the weight of them, they start to come loose, to fall down in chunks... And suddenly it isn't just a some paper calendar photos coming loose... It is all the pieces of your life that are too much, that you don't like, don't want, that you can't control. It is all so much so suddenly... It is all so much and has been so much for too long... And the thumb racks come out. 1, 2, 5 , 10, 20. Each piece suddenly overwhelmingly, precious, and beautiful and important. And fixed, fixed in place... In control... Not falling to pieces... Where it should be, held together to make something....

... And someone who lives there too enters the room and stares "[name] those walls were just repainted, you were told not to add a bunch of thumbtacks?" And you burt into tears, your voice is loud, and high and in near hysterics and you say "yes but... "And all the stressful, painful, frustrating part of your life suddenly come tumbling out your mouth one after another, faster and faster....

... Yeah and your wall has like 20-30 more thumb tacks in it for the next several years ...

[sparrowlark]

animorphs does not get enough credit for its innovation in the field of platonic willing-manipulation dynamics… making peace with being used, using your friends right back, doing it because it’s the only way, doing it because you’re desperate, doing it because you love them, accepting it when and because you trust them, accepting it when and because you don’t trust yourself… strengthening your connection through it like a really disturbing friendship bracelet… loving each other fiercely in and between these moments, caring so, so much for each other, seeking each other’s company to laugh and play and rest... ignoring the weight of it when you can, feeling it full force when you can’t, wearing you down, wearing you down all the time, just another pane of plexiglass separating you from notions of normal, living in that violent dissonance, your whole adolescence in it.

[ordinaryschmuck]

I agree with this statement.

[mintchocolateteacats]

"computer rendered artificial pictures" feels significantly more accurate anyway. 100% wish this was used instead. (The acronym is also funny. ) Sadly the acronym will likely get in the way of this term gaining traction.

[what-even-is-thiss]

I’m kinda surprised that nalbinding isn’t as popular as crochet and knitting tbh because it has an even lower barrier of entry tools wise and unlike crochet and knitting it makes fabric that you can cut.

I guess it’s because it’s slower or something.

[what-even-is-thiss]

Nalbinding aka needle binding is when you use yarn and a big sewing needle to make fabric btw

It also has a lot of different kinds of stitches you can do that make different densities of fabric.

Some people even make rugs.

[thewolfwaitsbelow]

I feel like part of it might be casual people are generally aware of the existence of crochet and knitting, even if they don’t know very much about either, but have never heard of nalbinding

[what-even-is-thiss]

Yeah I hadn’t heard of it until recently and I ordered a big bone needle for myself to try it out and that should be arriving soon.

I was surprised that I’d never heard of it though. It’s older than knitting and crocheting and even though it’s been done all over the world it’s super relevant to Nordic culture and my grandmother and I are both into keeping in touch with our roots a bit so I’m surprised I’ve never heard of it.

It seems like the sort of thing that would be popular even if not as popular as crocheting and knitting, considering the low barrier of entry.

[what-even-is-thiss]

You also don’t need a bunch of different sized needles for nalbinding or whatever. The size of the stitch is controlled either completely freehand or by pulling it against one of your fingers. Most people who have a lot of nalbinding needles seem to either have tried out wood, bone, and metal ones to see which kind they liked or they enjoy carving wood or bone and like making their own needles as an extra hobby.

It’s also a lot easier to freehand and adjust as you go than crochet or knitting and you mostly go by inches instead of rows and number of stitches so a large number of accessories like stitch markers or whatever isn’t really necessary.

Maybe the lack of accessories also makes it unpopular idk. People do like collecting things in their nests.

[the-color-of-sound-is-space]

I've been wanting to do so, I cannot find anyone who can teach me, and any books I can find on it are Ass in the Visual Learning department. Otherwise I'd be making the hell outta some nalbinded fabric

[what-even-is-thiss]

I found this channel by a nice man who makes up close tutorials

Happy Needlebinding

I create videos on YouTube to learn people how to needlebind using two fingers and your thumb. Needlebinding helps people to relax, relieve

[what-even-is-thiss]

I thought this would be kind of a niche post to make but I was quickly reminded that I’m on tumblr, the website full of gay people with one billion hobbies.

[bananonbinary]

one of the hardest things to learn as a depressed former Gifted Kid™ is that half-assed is better than nothing. take the 50%, 40%, even 20% job. scrubbing your face is better than not taking a shower at all. picking up your clothes is better than never cleaning. nibbling on some bread is better than starving.

DO THINGS HALFWAY. NOW YOU’RE 100% BETTER OFF THAN YOU WERE BEFORE.

[redheadhatchet]

One of my college professors used to say “anything worth doing is worth doing poorly.”  I didn’t understand that for years because I didn’t do anything poorly, I couldn’t do anything poorly, I had to Do Everything Perfectly.

But brushing your teeth for 30 seconds is better than not brushing them at all when that 2 minutes seems exhausting.  Doing ten minutes of yoga is better than 10 minutes of sitting when 30 minutes of cardio sounds impossible.  Changing my clothes is good when a whole shower is impossible.  Standing on the porch for a few minutes is worth it after being in the house for three straight days because I don’t have the energy to go anywhere.

Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly… because doing it poorly is better than not doing it.

[resetium]

someone please hit me over the head with this post every day for like the next week thanks. a mention, a reblog with text, a message, something.

[blackwoolncrown]

You must understand that perfectionism isn’t striving for excellence, it’s a crippling fear of being flawed and therefore worth abandonment or punishment. It’s a kind of psychological avoidance. You’re avoiding fear and failure , not embracing the thing you want to do bc if it was about the thing you want to do you’d be fine with partial victory.

[mintchocolateteacats]

Agreed

"perfection is the enemy of good" -Voltaire

[generaljenobi]

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

[that-one-unknown-artist]

Happy Mermay guys :3

can't wait to see what the DCA fandom has got cooking up :3

[that's actually a cruel thing to say cuz yk. fish. cooking. eugh]

[all-and-sundries]

Okay so in the PHM book Grace mentions that, since his last name also happens to be an English word, Rocky just calls him the Eridian word for “Grace”. But considering “grace” is a relatively niche word that would probably take a while for them even to develop the vocabulary to translate, I can’t help but wonder if there’s a little more going on here, and have ended up with two conflicting headcanons to explain it:

When they first meet, Rocky is just as worried about whether the alien will be hostile, and is so relieved by their first interactions being so positive that he names the alien the first thing he has discovered about him: “Kindness”. (It isn’t until Grace is explaining the possible interpretations of his name much later that they realize the coincidence. It feels strangely fated.)

Rocky has been calling him “Idiot [affectionate]” this entire time and lied about the whole “grace” thing when asked because who’s gonna know the difference. (when they make it back to Erid, Rocky has to make some very hasty, awkward explanations to the leaders planning to welcome the second savior of their world, culminating in a heated debate over whether to change the human hero’s Eridian “name” and in doing so expose Rocky’s crimes, or go with a planet-wide “commit to the bit” and keep the “Welcome to Erid, Idiot” decorations as is—all while Adrian loses their mind laughing in the background)

[mintchocolateteacats]

makes me want to head cannon as well. A variety of the 1st option.

His name is a closer translation to "hope" or "saving grace". Because more than just kindness. Rocky, alone, without the tools needed to save his people, after being stuck trying and failing for 50 years, got hope when grace arrived. A reckless, unearned, unexpected, long shot, desperate hope.

merriam webster definition

3. Christianity a : God-given help or kindness gives thanks for God'

Which would be super cool because for earth the mission is a "hail Mary" and grace is sacrificed to be the saving grace for humanity. But for rocky, Grace's existence/life is that unexpected grace. The Hail Mary is the pun. It is full of grace

[coachwip]

🌊✨YA'LL KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS!💫🐚

Its that time again folks, the one, the only, my most favorite artist holiday!! And no one does it quite like the DCA fandom! Hope to see ya'll enjoy and do what you do best! :3

[ultraviolet-techno-ecology]

Embossed braille should be standard on computer keyboards. 

It would raise braille literacy more than anything else I could imagine - among both the blind and the sighted. Currently braille is actually vanishing due to an increasing reliance on audiobooks and screen readers. 

I think that braille has a lot of potential use among non-blind groups. As an alternative to traditional writing for dyslexics. As a way to help photosensitive people type with their eyes closed. Or simply as a means to help sighted people find things without needing the lights on all the time!

[acutelyhomosexual]

Accessibility note: It’s important that braille doesn’t vanish because it’s one of the only written language that works for blind and sight-impaired people. It is necessary for them to interact with the real world where screen readers and audio devices are not available to them, such as elevators, most major metro systems, stairwells, doorways, the bumps in the sidewalk at corners are actually developed in conjunction with audio signals so blind people don’t step off the curb into traffic before the correct time. 

Digital technology has made accessibility so much easier for all of us disabled people, but we still *need* the real-world accommodations that we fought and died for

[lunarmoves]

you've been watching them for a while now.

automatons aren't new, by any means. you've seen them roaming around in the villages and towns beyond the treeline of the forest for years—decades, even. what they do, you're unsure, but you figure they aren't much different than the humans living their own lives day after day.

they walk like people, they talk like people, and they laugh like people, so you suppose they are people. strange and complex as they are.

this is the first time you've seen them in the forest, though.

nestled high above, between the branches of an oak tree, you peer down at the earth to watch two mechs picking their way past overgrown shrubs and tangled bramble. they're curious things, designed in such a way where their vivid colors stick out amongst all the verdant flora. your gaze lingers on the sharp rays framing the head of one of the mechs, before it trails to the starry nightcap adorning the other.

in a way, they remind you of the sun and moon. your gaze flicks upwards at the sliver of the daytime sky you can see through the tree's canopy. curious indeed.

they are dressed for travel, like all the other humans that have previously ventured forth into the forest. and you suppose they are after the same things as well. you've kept an eye on them throughout their journey deeper into the forest—keeping your distance, yes, but you have been growing bored enough to creep closer and closer with each passing day.

they amuse you, the automatons. with their connective designs to the universe and their gentle bickering you can hear from time to time. they have not stopped to rest for long, nor do they eat or sleep. a difference, you muse, from regular humans. it is so intriguing.

they are looking for the forest's treasures, that much is certain. and like all the others who have searched before them, you have no doubt that they will fail at their task.

but that doesn't mean you can't have your own fun.

the one with the sun rays has been scrutinizing an old map in his metal hands for the last few hours, turning it this way and that as he peers critically up at his surroundings. the leaf-ladened trees are painted in sunlight in a way reminiscent of a liquid gold coating. flowers and blossoms litter the dirt-covered ground like nature's version of a loose carpet. branches extend their scrawny fingers to tug at the mechs' clothes.

he huffs as he stops walking and seems to glare at a particularly thick tree covered in wisteria. "this is the third time we've passed this tree."

the other one chuckles as he comes to a halt next to his companion and peers up at his irritated face. "how can you tell? they all look the same."

"i can tell because i marked this tree!" the yellow mech says shrilly as he points to a spot where he'd peeled off a bit of bark on the trunk earlier. "you watched me do so, moon!"

"that could've been missing beforehand," moon replies in amusement. and when his companion only gives him a dry look, he relents. "alright fine. what do you want me to say, sun? that we're lost?"

sun and moon, you file away in your head in delight while you shift forward on your branch. your smile steadily widens. how concise and so very fitting.

"well no, but some help would be greatly appreciated!" sun says in exasperation as he throws his hands up. he points a finger at moon. "you've been letting me do all the mapping and navigating. i haven't seen you do anything other than look around and mimic the birds!"

and to your absolute pleasure, moon cocks his head at sun and does precisely what he has been doing for the last hour: he releases a sound similar to the call of a pheasant, short and musical. you are unsure how he is able to do so, but it is nothing short of hilarious.

sun gives moon a withering look. all it does is make moon break out into soft laughter.

sun sighs and it is a long, weary thing. "at this rate we won't ever be able to return to the castle. here, you try navigating." he thrusts the old map towards moon, who takes it easily. "if i have to look at that thing for one more second, i'll short circuit myself."

moon snorts and peers down at the map to hum at it. they are both standing just in front of the tree you're camped in. you look down to see if you can catch a glimpse of this map of theirs and have to hold back your own chuckle when you see how inaccurate it is. that certainly isn't helping—your own meddling aside.

moon hums. he turns the map left, then right, then completely flips it upside down. he nods to himself.

"yep, that settles it," he muses to himself.

sun tilts his head, crowding over his companion's shoulder to look down at the map as well. interestingly, one of his rays shrinks down to avoid poking moon's face. "settles what? did you figure something out?"

"yes. we're lost," moon announces, then crumples up the map to stick it into his pocket. you hold back a snort.

sun groans and runs his hands down his flat face. "why did i have to get stuck on this task with you."

when all moon does is cackle in response, you finally decide it is an appropriate time for you to make an appearance.

quietly, you make your way to a branch just in front of them, above their heads, and allow your body to swing backwards to hang upside down before their faces. "hi!"

abruptly, sun shrieks and leaps back. you grin as you watch him take on a defensive pose, his hand lingering at the satchel hanging from his shoulder. you have yet to see him open it. your gaze darts over to moon to see he has not moved an inch. instead, he stares at you with these ruby eyes that you are unable to decipher. but you can feel the way they analyze your form intently.

(earlier, as you followed them via tree, you could've sworn you saw moon glancing up occasionally at the canopies like he could sense your presence through them. maybe even see you.

but that was impossible, you dismissed. no one ever could.

he was just bird watching, you figured out later as you watched him follow the paths of the birds flitting over his head. that had to be it.)

you make a mental note to keep an eye on moon.

"you guys look mighty lost," you say cheerfully, your legs flexing a little where they're hooked around the branch. "want some help?"

you're looking at moon as you ask, but it's sun who responds.

"no, thank you," he says stiffly. he straightens, though he still keeps his hand near his satchel. there is wariness lining his body and the white glow of his eyes, that much is apparent. not that you blame him, really.

"aww, don't be like that." you lift your hands up to cross them behind your head; the picturesque form of nonchalant. "i don't bite, promise! no one knows the forest better than i do!"

"we know better than to trust random humans we encounter. particularly out here," sun replies cooly.

you giggle. "i'm not a human, silly. i'm a spirit of the forest. look!"

and with a small wave of a hand pointed at sun, you will tiny blossoms to start sprouting from his clothes—littering them like he'd just had a basket of flowers thrown at him.

sun jumps slightly as he looks down at himself and seems taken aback at the little buds. his gaze flits back up to you, though he is still just as cautious as before. "a forest spirit is just as untrustworthy as a human. there's a reason why this is called the forest of disappearances, after all."

you cock your head. "is that what they're calling it?" you hum thoughtfully. "i have not heard of this. surely you mean another forest?"

sun scoffs and brushes the flowers off of him. they flutter sadly to the ground. "i am quite certain it is this one."

"then why have you come here?" you ask curiously. flipping yourself off the branch, you land nimbly on your bare feet and straighten up with your hands clasped behind your back. you had not noticed it before, what with you sticking to the trees and all, but these automatons are rather tall. "it would be better to avoid a forest with so-called disappearances, no?"

"that is none of your concern," sun harrumphs and crosses his arms. for all the wariness he's regarding you with, he sure is willing to continue the conversation.

your gaze flicks briefly over to moon. he is still quietly watching you.

you look back at sun. "i am being genuine in my offer to help you, you know. don't you know forest spirits are kindred beings? it goes against our very nature to misguide."

"yes, well—" sun starts, but you do not give him the chance to continue.

"besides," you interrupt as you slowly start to circle the two. this close, you are now able to properly look them over—picking out all the minute details that make them real. "i have not encountered people like you before."

sun looks stunned, momentarily, though the expression quickly disappears. "people? no, you are mistaken. we are robots."

you tilt your head at him. they are both spinning around steadily to keep you in their line of sight. it allows you to take in the way they hold themselves—the rigidity of their limbs. "you act like people. therefore you are."

sun's mouth opens like he is about to refute you. but he stops when moon says his name in a low, warning tone. your eyes flick back and forth between them as you note each and every reaction. curious, curious. you decide to drop the topic.

"well, in any case," you continue lightly, "allow me to help you with your task. i insist."

"persistent, aren't you?" sun snaps out, then makes a motion like he is taking in a deep breath of air. "no. no, we are quite fine, thank you," he says shortly as he turns with finality to start walking off in a different direction. "come on, moon."

as moon slouches after sun, you deliberate stopping them, or making it apparent that you are following them instead of sticking to the trees. but ultimately you decide to let them go. for now.

"be careful!" you call after them, waving a little when the two glance back at you for a moment. "there are far worst things in this forest than a simple spirit such as i."

they do not bother you with a response. your smile is all teeth as you watch their backs retreating into the distance, your hand lowering so you can clasp your fingers firmly together.

oh this will be fun indeed.